Pregnant Woman Denied Help Lifting Bag on Flight

A pregnant woman reported being denied assistance by a flight attendant when she asked for help lifting her bag into an overhead locker. Dominique Elissa, a 31-year-old model and influencer, recounted the incident on the Big Small Talk podcast, stating the flight attendant told her to check the 4kg bag instead.

Elissa explained she asked for help because she is pregnant and had previously injured herself lifting bags. According to her account, the flight attendant responded, "If you're not able to lift your bag above your head, you have to check it in." She expressed shock at the response. Elissa eventually placed the bag in the locker herself but struggled to retrieve it at the end of the flight. A fellow passenger ultimately assisted her.

She suggested the experience reinforced her view that pregnant women are often overlooked. "I feel this lack of respect for pregnant women at the moment now that I'm pregnant," she stated.

While Elissa did not name the airline, policies from several Australian carriers indicate that passengers are generally expected to manage their own luggage. Jetstar's website states that passengers "need to be able to lift and carry your own bags." Qantas cabin crew are not expected to assist with lifting bags into overhead lockers, and Virgin Australia staff are typically not required to do so due to injury risks.

The incident has prompted discussion online, with some commenters suggesting it is the passenger's responsibility to handle their own bags, while others pointed to workplace health and safety regulations as the reason for flight attendants' reluctance to assist. Some noted that if a bag is too heavy for a passenger to lift, it might also be too heavy for crew to carry safely.